'Top mark wipe out in the women’s fleet in the heavy air last race'
Philippe Guegan, Voile et Voiliers

Competition at the Byte CII World Championship today started off looking much the same as the previous two days that were scrubbed for lack of wind and there was concern that, maybe, the minimum four races to constitute a Championship would not get sailed. Then, about 11:00 am, it slowly started to build and the RC got off a very short Race 4 to make sure they got in the crucial fourth race!

Race 5 was also a light 5 -7 knots, but still fair sailing, and Owen Siese BER won his first race of the regatta followed by Goncalo Pires POR, with his best finish, and Darren Choy SIN in third. In the women's division it was Elise Beavis of NZL with her first win, Lara Vadlau AUT sailing consistently and Natasha Yokoyama SIN in third with her best finish.

Racing was then postponed when the wind died away and the RC eventually had to move the course to a better location. For Race 6, the wind came back up to 8 - 11 knots and, in the slightly heavier air, it was Peter Batho HUN, the European Champion from Imperia, winning his first race followed by ever-consistent Darren Choy SIN and Marti Llena ESP in third with his best finish of the series. In the women's, it was World Champion Najwa Jumali SIN, with her first win, followed by Niki Blassar FIN, the series leader after day one and followed by Lara Vadlau, again in a top three position.

The wind then really started to build before the start of Race 7 and, before it was over, was a solid 16 kts, just touching 17. Harald Faste from Norway won his first race followed in second by Pierre Gueguen FRA with another second place and, in third, Kaarle Tapper FIN, who basically lost his throw out race with a black flag in Race 5 and has slipped to sixth overall. In the women's, Ines Sobral POR led from start to finish, Lara Vadlau had another second and Daphne van der Vaart had a third and her best finish in the series.

YEEEEES!!! Happiness is tacking onto starboard and into first place at the windward mark! Ines Sobral on her way to a win in Race 7. - Philippe Guegan, Voile et Voiliers

Click here for printer friendly version Click here to send us feedback or comments about this story.
If you want to send this story to a friend, please use link below
http://www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=98078

Based on your current download speed Sail-World has delivered large images (660 pixels long side.) If you would like to see only small images (300 pixels long side) click here . For medium sized images (500 pixels long side) click here . If you would prefer to see text only (without pictures) click here